Travis Central Appraisal District Protests
Appraisal review board (ARB) hearings make up the majority of Travis County property tax appeals. A statistical outlier with the rest of Texas, $23.28 billion in value was knocked off of tax rolls in 2023, resulting in $628.65 million saved. With Travis County being the most expensive housing market in Texas, you can’t leave your financial future to chance. O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program(TM) will take care of the details for you, and steer you through your informal appeal, ARB hearing, and even your judicial appeal. With no upfront fees, hidden fees, and no cost to you unless you win, what do you have to lose? Enroll, relax, and save.
Protests with Written ARB DeterminationSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total protests | 5.796 | 10.084 | 16.314 | 17.712 | 26.618 | 85.401 | 86.050 | 97.024 | 124.639 | 135.785 | 149.911 | |
| Protests single family residential | 3.052 | 4.602 | 6.107 | 5.725 | 11.017 | 61.146 | 62.360 | 75.525 | 96.661 | 102.451 | 116.657 | |
| Protests with all other | 2.744 | 5.482 | 10.207 | 11.987 | 15.601 | 24.255 | 23.690 | 21.499 | 27.978 | 33.334 | 33.254 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Hearing results depend on the appraiser assigned or the ARB; results vary widely. You do not know the appraiser or ARB panel prior to appealing.
Travis County Protests with Written ARB Determination
Appraisal review boards (ARB) are the lifeblood of Travis County property tax protests. Only 25,101tax appeals were resolved informally, compared to 135,785 ARB hearings. Property taxes have tripled in Travis County over the past decade and more people than ever are trying to get their climbing costs under control.
With ARB determination being the most common step to resolve your Travis County tax dispute, be sure to be ready for your appeal. O’Connor is a Texas-based property tax consulting firm that has fought for taxpayers for 50 years. Dedicated to battling Texas appraisal districts, O’Conor can lead your informal appeal, ARB, or judicial appeal to victory.
TCAD Protests by Property Type
The Travis Central Appraisal District is responsible for assessing, levying, collecting, and distributing property tax dollars. If a taxpayer is unable to informally protest TCAD to their satisfaction, the next step is to go to the ARB. The ARB is intended to be an impartial group that views evidence from both the taxpayer and TCAD, before issuing a ruling in favor of one or the other. If the ARB rules against a taxpayer, their only other option is a judicial appeal.
Travis County has seen the informal appeal wither since 2018. At the same time, ARB hearings are higher than anywhere in Texas. 102,451 single family home appeals were decided by the ARB in 2023, a new record. All other protests came in at 33,334 combined. ARB protests have a higher threshold of proof, meaning a taxpayer and his consultants will have to work overtime to win over the board.
Travis County ARB Decisions with a ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total | 4.424 | 6.913 | 11.563 | 12.484 | 16.587 | 65.563 | 53.003 | 83.133 | 103.183 | 123.232 | 133.861 | |
| Single Family Residential | 2.531 | 3.439 | 4.433 | 4.532 | 7.346 | 51.322 | 41.230 | 69.219 | 83.867 | 98.514 | 113.660 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 1.893 | 3.474 | 7.130 | 7.952 | 9.247 | 14.141 | 11.773 | 13.914 | 19.316 | 24.718 | 20.201 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Travis County ARB Decisions with a Reduction
In 2014, 4,424 ARB hearings in Travis County ended in a reduction, compared to 123,323 in 2023. 79.88% of those ARB hearings were for single family homes. Homeowners are taking their houses to ARB hearings like never before, as informal appeals fail to get any meaningful cuts to valuation or taxes. Considering the price hikes in the past decade, families all across Travis County are fighting to keep their homes in the face of aggressive TCAD taxation.
Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Reduction | 76% | 69% | 71% | 70% | 62% | 77% | 62% | 86% | 83% | 91% | 89% | |
| Single Family Residential | 83% | 75% | 73% | 79% | 67% | 84% | 66% | 92% | 87% | 96% | 97% | |
| Commercial / All Other | 69% | 63% | 70% | 66% | 59% | 58% | 50% | 65% | 69% | 74% | 61% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since To ensure their property taxes are at the lowest possible level.
Percent That Resulted in A Reduction
96% of Travis County single family homeowners that reach ARB hearings saw a reduction in 2023. Compared to the 74% of commercial properties that are successful, single family home appeals seem like a sure thing. Even the average of ARB appeals combined is 91%. The Texas average for single family homes that see ARB reductions is 75%, while the total average is 70%. Travis County is seeing record ARB reductions, and with prices going up, it will keep doing so.
Value Reduction From Written ARB DeterminationsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total $ Reduction | 1.952 | 2.895 | 4.647 | 4.790 | 4.956 | 6.244 | 5.065 | 7.886 | 12.697 | 23.283 | 29.340 | |
| Single Family Residential | 0.229 | 0.196 | 0.222 | 0.207 | 0.410 | 1.774 | 1.005 | 2.924 | 6.544 | 9.743 | 10.507 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 1.724 | 2.699 | 4.425 | 4.583 | 4.546 | 4.470 | 4.060 | 4.962 | 6.153 | 13.540 | 18.833 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Unequal appraisal allows protests based on neighbors having a better tax assessment.
TCAD Dollar Value Reduction from ARB Hearings
To say that Travis County ARB hearings are important for those appealing their taxes would be an understatement. A huge majority of reduced value and hard money comes from these formal appeals. $23.28 billion was reduced in assessed value by ARBs in 2023. $9.74 billion for single family homes alone. A total of $628.65 million was cut from property taxes thanks to ARB hearings.